Pre-Flavored Container

ABSTRACT

A multi-stage method of filling a container for storing a liquid makes use of a pre-loading process to insert a pre-fill portion of the liquid containing at least a flavorant, and in some embodiments both a flavorant and a sweetener. This creates a container that has been predosed with flavor and other components. Such a predosed container can be stored and shipped to be filled with the remaining components, before final packaging and distribution.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is the first application for the instant invention.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This application relates generally to a method for filling a container,and more particularly to a method of a multi-step filling process foruse in pre-filling and filling containers containing flavored liquids.

BACKGROUND

Filling of liquids into containers is well developed. Faster fillingspeed improves efficiency of the equipment. Constraints around fillingspeed relate to the evacuation of air in the empty container, spillingof the liquid being filled, and maintaining a hygienic environmentduring the filling process. These constraints become more complicatedwhen switching the contents being filled into a container. This isconsistent across many industries from perfumes, beverages, or medicine.

Contents can be liquid, solid, gas or a combination thereof. Forexample, the contents of a juice container could involve all liquidcomponents or also include pulp or solid components as well as dissolvedgasses such as carbon dioxide for flavor or the absence of oxygen toimprove shelf stability. In many cases the majority of the contents iscomposed of a liquid such as water or an oil that by itself imparts verylittle flavor but acts as a carrier to bring the contents to the usereither as a drink or possibly as an ingredient in other applicationssuch as cooking oils, scented room air fresheners, or e-liquids forvaporizers.

Switching the contents being filled into a container is often the desireof a manufacturer due to the multiple flavors being produced. Popularscents and flavors change frequently and it is simpler to change arecipe than to change the equipment or the packaging carrying theflavored fluid.

In one such example, some beverages are sold in cans or plastic bottles,and rely upon a common base with different flavors being added. Thefilling of the container is often done by local distributors andbottlers. In the example of a soft drink sold in a PolyethyleneTerephthalate (PET) plastic bottle, a bottling facility will receivesyrups, and bottle pre-forms (also sometimes referred to as blanks orparisons). The bottle pre-forms are inflated to size by heating the PETpre-form and blowing air into it. The inflated bottle is then filledwith a combination of the syrup and carbonated water. This allows forlocal bottlers and fillers to prepare beverages in a local marketwithout having to ship full beverage containers from a centralizedlocation. The inflation of the bottle must be done with a degree of careto ensure that the heating of the preform is done evenly so that theresulting bottle is properly inflated.

A typical bottling facility will make use of different preforms, anddifferent syrups to allow for local production of a variety of differentbeverages. When changing from one beverage to another, the filling linesused to carry the mixture of syrup and (possibly) carbonated water tothe bottles have to be cleaned. Due to compounds such as the sugars usedin the syrups, cleaning fill lines can be a time consuming process.

A similar process is undertaken in the preparation of a canned beverage,but instead of a PET preform, an aluminium can is used as the vessel tobe filled. Often, to prevent the beverage from picking up metallicflavours, the interior of the can may be coated in a thin thermoplasticlayer. A similar filling process can be used to the process discussedabove, along with a similar cleaning process.

The syrup provided to a bottler is a concentrate that is then mixed withwater in the fill lines. The concentrate is often very high in sugars orsugar substitutes, which contributes to a higher viscosity of theconcentrate (in comparison to the final product), and makes a thoroughcleaning of fill lines essential between changeovers in fillingdifferent beverages.

In a distinct field of endeavour, a similar issue has arisen. Electroniccigarettes and vaporizers also referred to as electronic nicotinedelivery systems (ENDS), have disposable pods that are shippedpre-filled with a nicotine based liquid solution, commonly referred toas e-liquid. This e-liquid is typically a combination of vegetableglycerine and propylene glycol serving as a carrier for nicotine, andoften contains a flavoring. The e-liquid is atomized in the ENDS forinhalation by a user. Within a disposable cartridge or pod, there is areservoir from which the e-liquid is drawn towards a heating element bycapillary action through a wick. In many such ENDS, the pod isremovable, disposable, and is sold pre-filled.

Each cartridge stores a predefined quantity of e-liquid, often in therange of 0.5 to 3 ml. As indicated earlier, the e-liquid is typicallycomposed of a combination of any of vegetable glycerine, propyleneglycol, nicotine and flavorings. In systems designed for the delivery ofother compounds, different compositions may be used.

In the manufacturing and filling of the disposable cartridge, differenttechniques are used for different cartridge designs. Typically, thecartridge has a wick that allows e-liquid to be drawn from the e-liquidreservoir to an atomization chamber. In the atomization chamber, aheating element in communication with the wick is heated to encourageaerosolization of the e-liquid. The aerosolized e-liquid can be drawnthrough a defined air flow passage towards a user's mouth.

FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C provide front, side and bottom views of an exemplarypod 50. Pod 50 is composed of a reservoir 52 having an air flow passage54, and an end cap assembly 56 that is used to seal an open end of thereservoir 52. End cap assembly has wick feed lines 58 which allowe-liquid stored in reservoir 52 to be provided to a wick (not shown inFIG. 1 ). To ensure that e-liquid stored in reservoir 52 stays in thereservoir and does not seep or leak out, and to ensure that end capassembly 56 remains in place after assembly, seals 60 can be used toensure a more secure seating of the end cap assembly 56 in the reservoir52. In the illustrated embodiment, seals 60 may be implemented throughthe use of o-rings.

As noted above, pod 50 includes a wick that is heated to atomize thee-liquid. To provide power to the wick heater, electrical contacts 62are placed at the bottom of the pod 50. In the illustrated embodiment,the electrical contacts 62 are illustrated as circular. The particularshape of the electrical contacts 62 should be understood to notnecessarily germane to the function of the pod 50. Atop reservoir 52 isa mouthpiece 68 illustrated as sectioned in this figure to not obscurestructure within reservoir 52. The mouthpiece 68 includes apertures toallow the airflow through the pod 50 to continue to a user's mouth.Between the mouthpiece 68 and the top of reservoir 52 is an absorbentpad 66 (often referred to as a spitback pad) which is typically made ofan absorbent material (e.g. cotton) and is arranged in an annual fashionaround the terminal end of post wick air flow passage 54. This pad 66 isprovided to allow for the absorption of condensation and large dropletsof e-liquid.

Because an ENDS device is intended to allow a user to draw or inhale aspart of the nicotine delivery path, an air inlet 64 is provided on thebottom of pod 50. Air inlet 64 allows air to flow into a pre-wick airpath through end cap assembly 56. The air flow path extends through anatomization chamber and then through post wick air flow passage 54.

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross section taken along line A in FIG. 1B. Thiscross section of the device is shown with a complete (non-sectioned)wick 72 and heater 74. End cap assembly 56 resiliently mounts to an endof air flow passage 54 in a manner that allows air inlet 64 to form acomplete air path through pod 50. This connection allows airflow fromair inlet 64 to connect to the post air flow path through passage 54through atomization chamber 70. Within atomization chamber 70 is bothwick 72 and heater 74. When power is applied to contacts 62, thetemperature of the heater increases and allows for the volatilization ofe-liquid that is drawn across wick 72.

Typically the heater 74 reaches temperatures well in excess of thevaporization temperature of the e-liquid. This allows for the rapidcreation of a vapor bubble next to the heater 74. As power continues tobe applied the vapor bubble increases in size, and reduces the thicknessof the bubble wall. At the point at which the vapor pressure exceeds thesurface tension the bubble will burst and release a mix of the vapor andthe e-liquid that formed the wall of the bubble. The e-liquid isreleased in the form of aerosolized particles and droplets of varyingsizes. These particles are drawn into the air flow and into post wickair flow passage 54 and towards the user.

Filling of pod 50 with an e-liquid is typically performed before the pod50 is assembled. Reservoir 52 is inverted prior to the insertion of endcap 56, allowing an e-liquid to be filled into the reservoir 52. When anappropriate quantity of e-liquid is filled, the end cap 56 is insertedand the pod 50 can then be packaged. When the filling stations areswitched from one e-liquid to another, the feed lines are flushed toavoid cross contamination of the different e-liquids. Many flavoringsalso include a sweetener, such as sorbitol, to provide a sweetness todifferent flavorings.

FIG. 3 illustrates an alternate embodiment of a pod, herein illustratedas pod 76. Pod 76 is already illustrated in an inverted orientation, theorientation in which it would be filled. Pod 76 is broadly comprised ofreservoir 78, having a post wick airflow passage 80 and an end cap 82.Prior to insertion of end cap 82, pod 76 can be filled by injecting thee-liquid into the inverted reservoir 78. The end cap 82 can then beinserted to seal the pod 76.

End cap 82 comprises wick feed lines 84, electrical contact 86, apre-wick air flow passage 88, and atomization chamber 90. Atomizationchamber 90 aligns with post wick airflow passage 80 when the end cap 82is inserted into the open end of reservoir 78. This insertion isperformed after the e-liquid is filled into reservoir 78.

Within the atomization chamber 90 is a wick 92 having a heater coil 94wound around it. The heater coil is connected to the electrical contacts86. Activation of the device into which pod 76 is inserted is typicallycontrolled by a pressure switch or pressure sensor that allows for theprovision of power through contacts 86 to allow for the activation ofheater 94. When filled, e-liquid within the reservoir is drawn acrosswick 92 by capillary action. This allows the heater 94 to be coated ine-liquid from wick 92. When activated, heater 94 will cause thevolatilization of the nearby e-liquid resulting in the projection ofvapor and various sizes of droplets into the airflow moving towards theuser.

As noted above, pods are often filled before they are fully assembled.An e-liquid is typically fed through a system of tubes from a largecontainer, and measured doses are filled into each open pod. The pod isthen sealed through the insertion of the end cap. In other arrangementsof the pod, the pod is fully assembled without e-liquid, and then thee-liquid is injected into the pod using a needle, which typicallypenetrates a self-healing membrane, or that injects through a hole thatis later sealed.

It should be noted that if there is to be a change in the e-liquidbetween filling different sets of pods, the e-liquid container, thefilling heads and all the connecting tubing has to be cleaned to preventcross-contamination. This is a time consuming process that consumes bothcleaning products (including water) and by its nature causes waste ofthe e-liquid. Furthermore, when multiple pods are packaged together, itis difficult to allow for more than one flavor to be in each packagebecause each flavor is part of a different batch. This would requirestoring filled pods without packaging them, which can be a logisticalproblem.

It should also be understood that some pods are made using plasticresins that can absorb flavorants from the e-liquid. In such situations,the e-liquid may be less flavorful over time. This can cause a problemfor a manufacturer, as users will complain about off flavors, which arereally attributable to the absorbed flavorant. This problem has alsobeen noted outside of the e-cigarette and vaping market, where flavorscan be absorbed by plastic coatings within packaging for perfumes orbeverages.

It would therefore be beneficial to have a mechanism to improve onaspects of the filling process.

SUMMARY

It is an object of the aspects of the present invention to obviate ormitigate the problems of the above-discussed prior art.

A container can be pre-loaded with a first fill portion that may becomposed of a subset of the ingredients of the final fill product. Forexample, in a beverage container, the container can be prefilled withsome or all of the flavoring and sweetening agents. This first portionof the final fill product can then be cured and/or dried so that thepre-loaded container is effectively shelf-stable. Achievingshelf-stability may also include the optional application of adissolvable coating to protect the preloaded ingredients from moisturein the air, or from oxidation effects. This allows for preloading offlavorant within a container, that can be shipped to a distributioncenter where final filling is performed. This can replace shipping bothcontainers and syrups to bottling facilities allowing for a singleproduct to be shipped. Where there are a plurality of different finalfill compositions, the preloaded first fill portion may reflect thedifferences between the various products, allowing the final fillprocess to be composed of only the common ingredients. This allows for asimplification of the filling process.

In a vaporizer container, the preloaded or prefill portion may becomposed of any combination of flavorants, sweeteners, and a componentsuch as nicotine, caffeine, or another compound for delivery. Thesepreloaded components may then be dried or cured to allow for storage,and an optional coating may be applied to further protect the preloadedcomponents from the environment. The fill liquid may be used in a finalfill process (though intermediate filling processes are not to be ruledout), and may represent the common ingredients (or a subset thereof)across a variety of different products in a liquid carrier medium.

In embodiments of the present invention, the liquid for storage in acontainer is divided into at least two portions, a prefill portion and afill liquid. The division of the prefill portion from the fill liquidallows for a container to be preloaded with the prefill portion, andstored. This preloaded prefill portion can contain flavorants and otheringredients including sweeteners, and in some embodiments the preloadedprefill portion is shelf stable. This allows preloaded containers to bestored and shipped, so that the finishing fill can be produced atdifferent times or locations as needed.

In a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided apreloaded container that comprises a reservoir and a preloaded fillportion. The reservoir has a sidewall, and the preloaded fill portion isaffixed to an interior of the reservoir. The preloaded fill portioncomprises a flavorant.

In an embodiment of the first aspect, the preloaded fill portion furthercomprises a sweetener, and optionally the sweetener is selected from alist comprising sugar, honey, aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, isomaltstevia, sorbitol and other sugar alcohols.

In another embodiment, the preloaded container comprises a coatingaffixed to the preloaded fill portion. In some embodiments, the coatingis selected from a list comprising: a sweetener, a water solublepolymer, and a starch.

In another embodiment, the container is one of a bottle, a bottlepreform and a can. In some embodiments, the preloaded fill portion isaffixed to the sidewall. In further embodiments, the preloaded fillportion is affixed to a base of the reservoir. In other embodiments thecontainer further comprises a fill liquid selected from a listcomprising water, carbonated water and alcohol.

In another embodiment, preloaded container is an electronic nicotinedelivery system pod, and optionally, the preloaded container furthercomprising an e-liquid comprising at least one of vegetable glycerine,propylene glycol, nicotine and a flavorant. In some embodiments, thepreloaded fill portion is one of partially soluble and fully soluble inthe e-liquid. In further embodiments, the preloaded fill portion isaffixed to one of the sidewall and a post-wick airflow passage withinthe reservoir.

In a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a methodof filling a container for storing a liquid composition. The methodcomprises the steps of preloading the container with a first portion ofthe liquid composition, the first portion comprising at least aflavorant; and curing the preloaded first portion within the container.

In an embodiment of the second aspect, the first portion is comprised ofdry ingredients making up a subset of ingredients of the liquidcomposition. In a further embodiment, preloading the container may beachieved by spraying the first portion of the liquid composition intothe container. In another embodiment, curing the preloaded first portioncomprises drying the preloaded first portion.

In another embodiment, the method comprising filling the container witha second portion of the liquid composition and sealing the reservoir. Insome embodiments, the container is one of a can, a bottle and a bottlepreform. In another embodiment, the container is an electronic nicotinedelivery system pod, and the liquid composition is an e-liquid.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in furtherdetail by way of example only with reference to the accompanying figurein which:

FIG. 1A is a front view of a prior art pod for use in an ENDS, with across sectioned mouthpiece;

FIG. 1B is a side view of the pod of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 1C is a bottom view of the pod of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2 is a cross section view of the pod of FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C, shownalong section line A-A in FIG. 1B;

FIG. 3 is a cross section view of an alternate prior art pod;

FIG. 4A is an illustration of a preform in accordance with an embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 4B is illustrates a cross section of the preform of FIG. 4A;

FIG. 4C is a cross section of the inflated preform of FIGS. 4A and 4B;

FIG. 4D is a cross section of the inflated preform of FIGS. 4A and 4Bshowing a contained liquid;

FIG. 5 is an illustration of a can separated from its lid, along withtop and cross section views in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 6A is an top view of the can of FIG. 5 according to an alternateembodiment;

FIG. 6B is a cross section of the can of FIG. 5 according to analternate embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating a a multi-stage method of filling acontainer;

FIG. 8 is a cross section view of a pod according to an alternateembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a cross section view of a pod according to an alternateembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a cross section of a filled pod according to an embodiment ofthe present invention; and

FIG. 11 is a flow chart illustrating a multi-stage method of fillingflavorant and liquid portions into a pod.

In the above described figures like elements have been described withlike numbers where possible.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the instant description, and in the accompanying figures, referenceto dimensions may be made. These dimensions are provided for theenablement of a single embodiment and should not be considered to belimiting or essential. Disclosure of numerical range should beunderstood to not be a reference to an absolute value unless otherwiseindicated. Use of the terms about or substantively with regard to anumber should be understood to be indicative of an acceptable variationof up to ±10% unless otherwise noted.

To address problems associated with cleaning and sanitizing requiredduring the changeover of different e-liquid mixtures a discussion of theoverall process of filling is beneficial.

As noted in the above discussion, both beverage containers and ENDS podsare filled with flavored liquids. These containers are filled and thensealed. With an ENDS pod, the sealing may be achieved through theinsertion of an end cap. For beverage containers such as PET bottles,sealing is typically performed through the placement of a cap, such as ascrew on lid. Where the container in question is a can, the can istypically provided to a distributor in two pieces, a lid and a body. Thecan is filled without a lid in place, and then the lid is placed atop ofthe open body, and is sealed to the body through the application of bothheat and pressure. In all these cases, filling is done by delivering apremixed version of the liquid into the container, and sealing thecontainer for further packaging and/or shipping. When there ischangeover in the flavor of the fill liquid, the feed lines used todeliver the premixed liquid have to be cleaned to avoid crosscontamination. This can be a time consuming process that reducesproduction capacity and unnecessarily increases the costs of the fillingprocess.

FIGS. 4A-D illustrate a container, here illustrated as bottle preform100, suitable for filling using a novel fill method. Bottle preform 100may be formed of any number of different materials including PET,polyethylene, and other such polymers, or other materials with similarstructures, FIG. 4A illustrates a preform 100 comprised of a body 104and a connected neck 102 that includes optional threading to allow formating with a threaded cap (not shown). The body 104 may be formed sothat when heated and inflated, it will have the desired shape of abottle.

As a part of a novel filling process, the preform is pre-loaded with afirst portion of the liquid that it will be filled with. This firstportion can include a number of different components including aflavorant and optionally the sweetener. This combination can be used toline the interior of the preform, and then dried or cured. The curingprocess may be as simple as reducing the content of a liquid carriersuch as water. This allows the pre-loaded preform to contain a drycoating of a flavorant and an optional sweetener. In some embodiments,the first portion is composed of a subset of the overall contents of thefinal liquid. The first portion may be largely restricted to flavorantsand sweeteners. It should be understood that the sweetener may act as abinding agent allowing the remaining ingredients in the first portion tobe affixed to the interior of the reservoir. If no sweetener isincluded, it may be necessary to add a dissolvable binding agent. Inother embodiments the first portion may be defined so that it containsat least a subset of all the components of the final liquid not commonacross the different product lines. So, if there are three final liquidsthat are used to fill containers, the dry ingredients of all threeliquids are identified. Components that are not common across thedifferent final liquids are prime candidates for inclusion in theportion that will be prefilled into the preform. Sweeteners may becommon across the final liquids, but may be included as part of thepre-filling portion so that the tackiness imparted by the sweetener canbe used to aid in affixing the pre-filling portion to the interior ofthe preform. In some embodiments, the sweetener may include any one ormore of sugar, honey, aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, isomalt, stevia,sorbitol, other sugar alcohols or another sweetener similar to thoserecited. To allow the prefilled portion to be shelf stable, a coatingmay be applied to prevent spoiling. Although the sweetener may provideboth tackiness and a degree of shelf stability to the prefilled portion,the optional use of a coating can help ensure that the prefilled portionis protected from oxidation and other effects that could contribute tooff flavors. In some embodiments, the coating may be a dissolvablepolymer or other such food safe coating.

FIG. 4B illustrates a cross section of the preform 100 of FIG. 4A.Preform 100 has both the neck 102 (with threading) and the body 104shown in FIG. 4A. Additionally illustrated are a hollow section 108 ofthe neck 102 that allows for a pre-filling portion 106, also referred toas a first portion, can be deposited within the preform 100. In someembodiments this deposition can be done through the use of a sprayerthat sprays the interior walls of the body 104.

It should be understood that in a conventional bottle filling processusing PET or other polymer preforms, the preform is heated and air isblown into the preform through the neck. This heating process softensthe preform, and allows for it to be inflated to the desired shape. Theapplication of heat is done to allow the material of the preform tosoften and to prevent the bottle from forming unevenly during heating.In some embodiments, to ensure a particular shape, the preform isinflated within a form that ensures that the expansion is resisted bythe desired eventual shape. The application of the pre-filling portion106 may allow for a relaxation in the evenness of the application ofheat, as the pre-filling portion 106 may have heat transfer propertiesthat aid in the even transfer of heat.

FIG. 4C illustrates an inflated version of preform 100 as bottle 110.Bottle 110 still includes the neck 102 with hollow section 108, as wellas body 104. Body 104 has been inflated to a final size, but maintainscoverage of the pre-filling portion 106 within the reservoir definedwithin body 104. This pre-filling portion 106 is affixed around theinterior wall of the body 104, leaving the expanded body 104 with areservoir 112 into which the remaining portion of the filling liquid canbe added. FIG. 4D shows a container 110 in cross section, so that thebody 104, pre-filling portion 106 and reservoir 112 are shown, similarto FIG. 4C. However, liquid has been added, and some of the pre-fillingportion 106 has been dissolved into liquid 114. When added, the liquidmay be heated to encourage dissolution of the pre-filling portion 106,but it should also be understood that the reservoir 112 can becompletely filled and the pre-filling portion 106 may not be fullydissolved. The dissolution to form liquid 114 may take time. If liquid114 is not carbonated, agitation of the container 110 may be desirableafter sealing the container 110 with a cap. Agitation can be in the formof the typical conveying and warehousing process.

It should be understood to those skilled in the art, that it is possibleto pre-fill an inflated bottle with the pre-filled portion 106 insteadof prefilling a pre-form. This may be done to avoid possible oxidationof flavor compounds during the heating and blowing process.

FIG. 5 shows a cylindrical can 116, such as an aluminium can, having abody 118 with a base 126 and a lid 120. Before affixing the lid 120 tothe body 118, the can 120 can be prefilled with the prefilling portion.Shown in cross section along section line A, is the can body 118 havingbeen pre-loaded with pre-fill portion 124. Prefilling portion 124 isshown as being sprayed on to the interior walls of body 118 leavingreservoir 122 to be filled with a liquid component at a later time.After being coated with pre-filling portion 124, the body 118 can bestored for filling at a later time. As noted elsewhere, the pre-fillingportion may be protected from oxidation or other effects through theapplication of a coating to the exposed surface of the preloadedprefilling portion. This coating may act as a barrier to at least one ofwater and air. The coating may be a dissolvable layer of a food-safeproduct. This coating may, in some embodiments, be a layer of sweetenerwithout flavorants, such as powdered sugar (also referred to asconfectioners sugar which commonly contains a starch such as corn starchwhich can aid in forming a coating). In some embodiments the coating mayinclude a dissolvable or water soluble polymer that is sprayed onto thepre-loaded pre-filling portion. Other food safe coatings may includecellulose, latex, or gelatin.

In previously illustrated embodiments, prefilling portions have beenillustrated as a coating on the walls of a reservoir. Although this is afeasible embodiment, it should be understood that other pre-fillingtechniques can be employed. FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate a top view andcross-section side view of the can body 118 of FIG. 5 . Pre-fillingportion 124 is illustrated as a block inserted into the reservoir 122,and instead of being affixed to the interior walls of reservoir 122, itcan be affixed to the base 126 of body 118.

It should be understood that the two placements illustrated in FIG. 5and FIGS. 6A-B are best understood as examples of two of the manydifferent embodiments possible. These two embodiments are not intendedto be exhaustive, but instead only illustrative of some of thepossibilities. The pre-fill portion can be sprayed on some or all of thebase of the container, some or all of the side walls, or it can be astructure affixed to one portion of the container, but largelyself-supporting as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating an example of a method ofpre-filling a container, such as a can or a bottle preform, with apre-fill portion. The process starts in step 150 with an unfilledcontainer that is oriented if necessary. In step 152, the container ispre-loaded with the pre-fill portion, which in some embodiments is aportion of the overall fill that can be represented by dry components.In step 154, the pre-loaded container can optionally be dried or curedso that the prefill portion is affixed to at least one of the interiorsurfaces of the container. At this point, the pre-loaded container canbe stored for future filling in step 156.

Prior to filling, the pre-loaded container can be expanded to its fullsize if needed, for example by heating and inflating the pre-loadedcontainer in step 158. Those skilled in the art will appreciate thatthis may be done by first inserting the pre-loaded container into amold, so that the final shape of the container is constrained to thedesired shape. It should be understood that in some embodiments, thecontainer may be expanded to full size in step 158 in advance ofpre-loading the container in step 152.

In step 160, the prefilled container is filled with the remainingportion of the fill liquid. This liquid may be heated to encourage morerapid dissolution of the pre-fill portion, but it should be understoodthat this is not strictly necessary, as it is likely that fulldissolution can be achieved through both time and the agitation involvedin shipping. In step 162, the container is sealed.

Using the containers shown in FIGS. 4-6 , and the method illustrated inFIG. 7 , there are a number of different products that may be produced.Some of these products may include beverages, where the liquid portionused in step 160 may comprise one or more of water, carbonated water,alcohol, and other beverage bases. While this allows a manufacturer tochange flavors of a beverage without necessarily having to flush filllines, it also allows a manufacturer to develop a single flavor basethat can be common to a variety of different beverage bases, which wouldsupport the development of flavored alcoholic cocktails andnon-alcoholic versions with the same flavor base.

Pods, like those shown in FIGS. 1-3 , can be thought of as reservoirsand end cap assemblies (containing the elements within the molded endcap). The reservoir is open on the bottom, and is sealed after fillingby having the end cap inserted. In a conventional e-liquid fillingprocess, an inverted reservoir is placed into a holder, and a measuredquantity of e-liquid is dosed into the reservoir. Upon filling, the podassembly is completed by inserting the end cap into the open end of thereservoir. Also, as noted, other filling systems exist in whichassembled pods are filled through injection of e-liquid through a needlethat pierces a membrane at the top of the cartridge.

The e-liquid is a mixture of a variety of different components. Some ofthe components are liquid, others are solids. The mixture of thesecomponents will have some of the components dissolved in the liquidcomponents, while other solid components are held in suspension withinthe liquid. In some embodiments different glycerine components form themajority of the liquid portion of the e-liquid. Varying the ratio ofglycerine to propylene glycol typically changes the viscosity of thee-liquid.

Although presented below in the context of use in an electronic nicotinedelivery system such as an electronic cigarette (e-cig) or a vaporizer(vape) it should be understood that the scope of protection need not belimited to this space, and instead is delimited by the scope of theclaims. Embodiments of the present invention are anticipated to beapplicable in areas other than ENDS, including (but not limited to)other vaporizing applications. As noted above, an ENDS based e-liquid istypically composed of different components including any of vegetableglycerine, propylene glycol, nicotine and flavorings. Often, oneflavorant can be substituted for another, resulting in a differentlyflavored e-liquid. The flavorant is often a complex mixture of differentcomponents including a sweetener such as sucralose. To avoid crosscontamination between flavors, the filling system needs to be cleanedbetween batches. Some of the issues related to cleaning and flushing thefilling systems are related to the sweetener, which when at leastpartially separated form the rest of the e-liquid has a tendency tobecome somewhat sticky. This can trap flavorants within the fillingsystem, requiring a laborious cleaning process between filling differentbatches with different flavors.

In embodiments of the present invention, a new method of filling a podis disclosed. Use of this method will also result in an interim product,in which the pod is partially filled and suitable for storage.

E-liquid is made from mixing components. In the prior art, all thecomponents were mixed and then filled into the pod. In one embodiment,some of the constituent components of the e-liquid will be combined andinserted into the reservoir in a first fill process. In a second fillprocess, remaining components are filled into the pod. For example, theflavorants and sweeteners can be sprayed into the pod in the first fillprocess. The spraying of the flavorants can be performed to create acoating within the reservoir that can be cured and/or dried. Thisresults in a reservoir that has at least a portion of its interiorsurface coated with components to an e-liquid. By drying and/or curingthe coating within the reservoir, the resulting product can be a shelfstable product that can be stored for future use. It should beunderstood that this is a very similar process to that outlined abovefor filling plastic or glass bottles and metal cans.

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of a pod 200 that has been coated asdescribed above. Reservoir 202 has a post-wick airflow passage 204, andcan be sealed with end cap 206. However, coating the sidewall of thepost-wick airflow passage 204, within reservoir 202, is a subset of thecomponents of the e-liquid 208. In a subsequent filling process, theremaining components of the e-liquid are filled into reservoir 202 aswould happen in the prior art. However, this fraction of the e-liquidwould typically contain the elements of the e-liquid that are common tothe different compositions of the e-liquid and that are in suspensionwithin the e-liquid. After being filled with the second portion of thee-liquid, the reservoir 202 can be sealed through the insertion of theend cap 206. As the two components of the e-liquid are now in contactwith each other, the coating 208 can be dissolved by the second e-liquidportion. This dissolution may not occur immediately, and in someembodiments may be aided by heating the second portion of the e-liquidprior to filling to encourage dissolution of the coating 208. Mechanicalagitation may also aid in the dissolution of the coating, but thisagitation may be achieved through the agitation inherent in thepackaging, storage and shipping process.

As seen in FIG. 9 , the coating 208 does not need to fully coat a givensurface, and may instead be concentrated in a single location, hereshown as an annular ring 208 around the post wick air flow passage 204within the reservoir 202 of pod 200.

By dividing the e-liquid into two portions, and separating theapplication of the two portions, pods can be pre-loaded with the firstcomponent and stored. This allows for the pods to be pre-loaded inlarger quantities than they would be in the conventional process. Thispre-loading can be done using dry components that are not common acrosspods (e.g. flavors) and are soluble in the liquid components of thee-liquid. During this pre-loading process, the pods may be treated witha liquid spray that can be cured or dried that will help bind thepre-loaded dry components to a portion of the reservoir. The optionaldrying or curing allows the pre-loaded pod to be sufficiently shelfstable that it does not need to be immediately filled with e-liquid. Asnoted above, shelf stability may be enhanced through the optionalapplication of a coating to the pre-filled portion.

During the second filling process, the liquid components of the e-liquidare filled into the pod, in a process that looks similar to the existingfilling process. However, it will be clear to those skilled in the artthat this filling process makes use of e-liquid components that aretypically common between batches, and are easier to clean from thefilling system. This portion of the e-liquid may, in some embodiments,be heated to encourage dissolution of the pre-loaded components.

FIG. 10 illustrates a completed pod 210 that has been both pre-loadedwith a first e-liquid portion 218, and an e-liquid 220. Pod 210 has areservoir 212 and post-wick airflow passage 214. It has received acoating of a first portion of the e-liquid components 218 on theinterior of the reservoir walls. After an optional drying or curingprocess, it is filled with a second e-liquid component 220 that mayoptionally have been heated. Following this the end cap 216 has beeninserted to seal the pod 210.

At this point the pod 210 can proceed to packaging and shipping. Duringthe packaging and shipping process, the pod 210 will be agitated and thefirst portion 218 will be dissolved into the second portion 220.

In each of FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 , the first portion of the e-liquid appliedto form the coating 208, 218 has been illustrated as being applieddifferently or to different portions of the interior of the pod. Itshould be understood that, as discussed above, this has been done toillustrate different embodiments that may be combined with each other.The illustrated embodiments should not be considered to be an exhaustiveset of embodiments. In unillustrated embodiments, coatings of flavorantsmay be applied so that they are infused into a lining within thereservoir, or into the reservoir wall itself. The infused flavorant caneither be used to improve the flavor of the e-liquid, or it may be usedto help prevent the absorption of flavorant into the reservoir wallsafter filling.

FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary method of filling a reservoir accordingto an embodiment of the present invention. The process starts at step250 where an unfilled reservoir is oriented for filling. This step istypically performed before the pod is filled. In step 252, the reservoiris pre-loaded with a first e-liquid portion. As noted above, this istypically an e-liquid portion making use of dry components of thee-liquid that may additionally have a binding agent to allow them to bebound to the walls of the reservoir. In some embodiments this firstportion of the e-liquid that is preloaded into the reservoir iscomprised of flavorants and sweeteners.

In optional step 254, a drying and/or curing process is performed toaffix or set the preloaded first e-liquid portion within the reservoir.It should be noted that in pods that are filled using a needle thatinjects e-liquid within a sealed pod, if the pod is not sealed, the stepof sealing the pod (discussed below as step 262) may occur at thispoint. In other embodiments, with pods that are filled through a needleinjecting e-liquid through a barrier such as a resilient or self healingmembrane, the pre-loading may be performed through this needle, and thefirst portion may contain a liquid component as well.

In step 256, a pod that has been pre-loaded with a first e-liquidportion may be stored for future filling. This step may represent an endto a first part of an overall filling process, and provides an interimproduct that can be stored, shipped and sold.

In optional step 258, a second e-liquid portion, typically containing atleast one liquid component, is pre-heated. In step 260, the pre-loadedreservoir is filled with the optionally heated second e-liquid portion.If the pod has not been previously sealed, the sealing of the pod can beperformed in step 262 at this point. In some embodiments step 262entails the insertion of the end cap into an open end of the reservoir.

It should be noted that this multi-stage filling allows for pods to bepre-dosed with a flavorant, and then later filled with the remainingportions of an e-liquid. In an ENDS environment, this allows for thepreloading of pods with flavorants in one process (or sub-process).Pre-loaded reservoirs can then be filled with different second portions.In an exclusively ENDS environment, the different second portions mayhave different concentrations of nicotine, or may have different ratiosof vegetable glycerine (VG) to propylene glycol (PG). This allowsflavors to be filled within the pods, and for the determination of theremaining characteristics (e.g. nicotine concentration, PG-VG ratios,etc.) to be varied according to needs.

In environments where pods are created for more than just ENDS, it wouldbe possible to create a process where the flavoring of a pod isperformed in a first process, and as a function of the second process,different e-liquids are created. In one embodiment, a first set ofpre-loaded pods could be filled with e-liquids that provide nicotine,while a second set of pre-loaded pods could be filled with e-liquidscontaining another compound such as caffeine, and a third set ofpre-loaded pods could be filled with e-liquids containing neithernicotine nor caffeine. A conventional e-liquid may use the liquid baseto dissolve some compounds while other components are held insuspension. As such, it should be understood that the preloaded pre-fillmay not necessarily need to be fully soluble, so long as it is partiallyor substantially dissolved and the remaining components can be held insuspension.

This method allows for the dosing of flavorants to be performed in asingle location, and have the containers filled at a plurality ofdifferent locations. This may allow for a better control of theflavorant dosing in industries such as the beverage sector. Furthermore,in a beverage production context, it may allow for a manufacturer to usea pre-loading of flavorant in a first process, and then in separatefilling processes different liquid portions could be later added,allowing for the production of alcoholic beverages and non-alcoholiccounterparts with the same flavoring.

During a conventional filling process different flavours of product arecreated on different production lines, or on the same production line atdifferent times. The creation of a multi-flavored package of containersbecomes a complex process in which filled containers of differentflavors need to be warehoused and then combined into a single package.This increases the amount of warehousing required, and increases thecomplexity of the product line. Using pre-loaded containers, differentflavours can be stored separately, but require no more storage spacethan unfilled containers in the previous example. The flavours can bemixed and matched to create different mixes of the flavor as needed,which may provide flexibility in production. To facilitate this,containers may be labelled during the first stage filling process toallow them to be properly identified later. This labelling may involveprinting a computer readable token on the container. In the example of abeverage can, this may include printing a flavor code on the bottom ofthe can, it may include printing a flavor code onto a top edge of thecan body which would be obscured by the placement of the lid after thefilling process is complete, or it could entail different human readablelabels or paints on the cans which can be read by computer visionsystems. In other embodiments, each container can have a serial numberprinted on it before filling. This number can be read during thepre-filling stage and associated with a flavor in a database accessiblein the second stage filling process. It should be understood that anynumber of different known labelling techniques can be used withoutdeparting from the bounds of the invention.

It should also be understood that in the embodiments of FIGS. 8-10 , thepre-loading may be performed by applying and curing the pre-fill portionto the end cap instead of to the inside of the reservoir. This createsend caps with a preloaded prefill portion that will be dissolved wheninserted into a container that has been filled with the remainingcomponents of the e-liquid. Similarly, in the embodiments of FIGS. 5 and6A and 6B, the preloaded prefill component may be applied and affixed tothe lid of the can, allowing for the preloaded lid to be applied to acan that has been filled with liquid. Such a can is then sealed as itwould be in conventional processes, and the dissolution of thepre-loaded pre-fill can begin. Although this may be difficult for manybottling embodiments, it is possible to build a preloaded prefillportion on the bottle cap (this may be easier with larger diameter lids)instead of spraying the prefill component inside a bottle or a bottlepreform. It should be understood that in all these embodiments, thelids, caps and end caps are considered to be a part of the overallcontainer. Thus preloading these elements is an alternate path topreloading the container. The reservoir portion of the container (be ita bottle, a can or a pod) can then later be filled with the liquidportion of the fill and the sealing of the container will introduce thetwo fill portions to allow mixing.

In the instant description, and in the accompanying figures, referenceto dimensions may be made. These dimensions are provided for theenablement of a single embodiment and should not be considered to belimiting or essential. The sizes and dimensions provided in the drawingsare provided for exemplary purposes and should not be consideredlimiting of the scope of the invention, which is defined solely in theclaims.

1. A preloaded container comprising: a reservoir having a sidewall; anda preloaded fill portion affixed to an interior of the reservoir, thepreloaded fill portion comprising a flavorant.
 2. The preloadedcontainer of claim 1 wherein the preloaded fill portion furthercomprises a sweetener.
 3. The preloaded container of claim 2 wherein thesweetener is selected from a list comprising sugar, honey, aspartame,sucralose, saccharin, isomalt, stevia, sorbitol and other sugaralcohols.
 4. The preloaded container of claim 1 further comprising acoating affixed to the preloaded fill portion.
 5. The preloadedcontainer of claim 4 wherein the coating is selected from a listcomprising: a sweetener, a water soluble polymer, and a starch.
 6. Thepreloaded container of claim 1 wherein the container is one of a bottle,a bottle preform and a can.
 7. The preload container of claim 6 whereinthe preloaded fill portion is affixed to the sidewall.
 8. The preloadedcontainer of claim 6 wherein the preloaded fill portion is affixed to abase of the reservoir.
 9. The preloaded container of claim 6 furthercomprising a fill liquid selected from a list comprising water,carbonated water and alcohol.
 10. The preloaded container of claim 1wherein the container is an electronic nicotine delivery system pod. 11.The preloaded container of claim 10 further comprising an e-liquidcomprising at least one of vegetable glycerine, propylene glycol,nicotine and a flavorant.
 12. The preloaded container of claim 11wherein the preloaded fill portion is one of partially soluble and fullysoluble in the e-liquid.
 13. The preloaded container of claim 10 whereinthe preloaded fill portion is affixed to one of the sidewall and apost-wick airflow passage within the reservoir.
 14. A method of fillinga container for storing a liquid composition, the method comprising:preloading the container with a first portion of the liquid composition,the first portion comprising at least a flavorant; and curing thepreloaded first portion within the container.
 15. The method of claim 14wherein the first portion is comprised of dry ingredients making up asubset of ingredients of the liquid composition.
 16. The method of claim15 wherein preloading the container comprises spraying the first portionof the liquid composition into the container.
 17. The method of claim 14wherein curing the preloaded first portion comprises drying thepreloaded first portion.
 18. The method of claim 14 further comprisingfilling the container with a second portion of the liquid compositionand sealing the reservoir.
 19. The method of claim 14 wherein thecontainer is one of a can, a bottle and a bottle preform.
 20. The methodof claim 14 wherein the container is an electronic nicotine deliverysystem pod, and the liquid composition is an e-liquid.